Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 5:47 am Post subject: New puppy biting things he shouldn't... Help!
We have had our chocolate labrador - Fraser - home since last Saturday and today has been the first day that I have had any real trouble. Any tips or advice would be really helpful... I am at a loss what to do next so thought it would be best to jump on the forum.
He has been a really good puppy so far mainly only chewing his toys and staying around near his matt. He has had the occasional chew on furniture, rugs, leg bottoms of jeans etc. and we have been using the commands "leave it" and "fraser, no bite!" but just recently none of the commands have got through to him.
I just gave him lunch 30 minutes ago (1/3 cup of dry food watered down) and he was in a playful mood earlier. We had a little game outside where he goes for the bottom of my jeans, I run around the backyard and I do not let him grab the bottom of the jeans and tell him "leave it" when he does get close. Most of the time he is fantastic and responds and ends up lying in between my legs.
This is where the problem arises, I took him out for a toilet break and it was raining for the first time. When he came inside I grabbed a small hand towel to dry his head, body and paws. He did not like the towel at all and seemed to think it was another one of his toys or a little game we were playing. I kept re-inforcing to him "no... leave it... no bite" but no commands were getting through.
We had this same problem yesterday with the hand towel but it was not as bad, I was able to say to him "leave it" and distract him with one of his own toys as a substitute and he would then go for his own toy, he would get a pat and "good boy!" said to him. I thought today would be similar but he was either jumping on me to try and get the hand towel or biting my jeans when I was standing up.
Right at this moment he is in the bathroom (it's puppy proofed... hehe) and I will probably go and get him after this post and see if there is any improvement. He seems to ignore these commands especially when I am trying to dry him. I'm at a complete loss to what is going on and unsure whether I should even be punishing him for it. Is it a case of too many toys? He doesn't know what is a toy and what's not?
This is his sixth day at home so I would hope that he is settling in. For a bit more information we have him now sleeping in the Laundry at the other end of the house and he is outside on his own for 5-6 hours per day while my partner and me are at work. Any advice would be helpful - maybe I am expecting too much of him so far (he is only 8 weeks old).
As I said earlier he has been a great puppy and companion without any trouble until recently being yesterday and today. His toilet training is progressing well and he has at least 6-7 toys that he can choose from when it's play time. Thanks for reading and hope to read some replies or methods that I can enforce to show him I mean business!!
Seriously? I mean seriously? He is a teeennyyyy baby and been with you 6 days - GIVE HIM A BREAK - hehe ok now I have got that off my chest
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This is where the problem arises, I took him out for a toilet break and it was raining for the first time. When he came inside I grabbed a small hand towel to dry his head, body and paws. He did not like the towel at all and seemed to think it was another one of his toys or a little game we were playing. I kept re-inforcing to him "no... leave it... no bite" but no commands were getting through.
Ruby still does this at bearly 2 - its a game and a bonding time I feel you could try giving him a toy to play with while you dry him though if it really annoys you.
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Right at this moment he is in the bathroom (it's puppy proofed... hehe) and I will probably go and get him after this post and see if there is any improvement. He seems to ignore these commands especially when I am trying to dry him. I'm at a complete loss to what is going on and unsure whether I should even be punishing him for it. Is it a case of too many toys? He doesn't know what is a toy and what's not?
he is a baby - everything is a toy, would you scold a teeny human baby for playing with its dinner NO! You would laugh and say awwwww. Again he wont know the commands HE IS A BABY
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For a bit more information we have him now sleeping in the Laundry at the other end of the house and he is outside on his own for 5-6 hours per day while my partner and me are at work. Any advice would be helpful - maybe I am expecting too much of him so far (he is only 8 weeks old).
Leaving him for such a long time each day will condense his puppy exhuberance when you get home as its a very long time to leave a teeny pup what I used to do with Ruby is do a 5 min training session when I had got in and let her out etc etc as their excitement at seeing you is just manic!!!! At this age you can do sit, down, and start with leave it wait etc etc I suggest you get a puppy book with the basics in it if you havent already also read this http://www.jersey.net/~mountaindog/berner1/bitestop.htm it will tell you why they bite
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Thanks for reading and hope to read some replies or methods that I can enforce to show him I mean business!!
hmm I think this is just an unfortunate turn of phrase but you dont need to be harsh with him - just consistant and firm thats all. He sounds like an angel btw He will grow up sooo fast enjoy him when he is teeny
Sorry Shaun am with the girls on this one , i have a 12 week old pup who does all the things above and it's because she's a baby and finding her way in the world everything to her is a game We have to guide them as to what's right and wrong but it does take time and patience not an overnight thing at all. training is on going throughout a dogs life. I find that distraction is a better option than just telling her.I tend to ignore naughty behaviour as in not make a fuss(obviously i do tell her no but not go over the top as she then thinks it's a game!!) give her one of her toys to get her away from what she's doing. Praise good things that she does and gets right then am over the top can't have got it to wrong as she is my 6th dog and 3rd pup and my others are happy confident good dogs that i'm very very proud of .
Good luck please don't think we are getting at you but you did ask
Oh just a thought do you have puppy training classes near you would recommend you go to them will help you no end and others there will be in the same boat as you there to swap notes and tips with
I can only echo what Vicky has said.....You are expecting far too much from such a young pup.
The only other thing I would add is that by playing chase games you are actively encouraging him to chase, leap and bite, it is in a dogs instincts to do this. Never play chase games of any sort, or you could awaken a really strong urge to chase anything that moves (not good when you have a 35kg dog that wants to chase every car that goes past).
5/6 hours is too long in my opinion to leave such a young pup too...No wonder he is full of beans when you get home, he has been cooped up and lonely for most of his day.
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methods that I can enforce to show him I mean business!!
Your pup needs time, patience and firm but fair rules. I can not avocate any "methods that show you mean business" as all that will happen is you will end up with a fearful, mistrusting dog.
I can only echo. I understand that if you need to work, then you need to work; but 5 or 6 hours is too long for an adult, fully grown dog, let alone a puppy. The reccommended time for a puppy is two hours a day, MAXIMUM.
Could you not get a friend or neighbour to pop in and spend even half an hour with pup?
Also, you need to be careful letting him have the run of the garden on his own as he may escape, hurt himself or even get stolen. Just be careful!
Make sure he knows that biting trousers etc is not acceptable - say "no biting" and walk away and ignore him. If he continues to tug on your clothes, put him outside the room for TWO MINUTES only - this is all the time a puppy needs to forget what he was doing previously!
Roo (20 weeks) thinks it is a great game when I towel him down, and to be honest, so do I! I just find it so funny I can't get angry My mum's dog (5 years) still does it too so I guess you're just going to have to live with it. Alternatively, you could shut him in the kitchen or somewherem 'wet-proof' for 15 mins or so until he dries off.
Please consider getting someone to come in and see to the pup as I feel it is a very long time to be left for any age dog. Puppy classes are a must too.
Just enjoy your puppy as they are only around for 12 ish years - make the most of what you have because before you know it he'll be gone and you'll miss the times he tugged on your towel or trouser leg! x
I did mention the joy of puppy crates on your first post
seriously, a crate really may help you. It sounds like the laundry has become his space for sleep and now when he's been a bit naughty- which is mixed messages for him.
(also pups have been known to chew electric wall sockets off)
A crate would help because you can put him in there in the same room as you for those moments when you get frazzled. (without telling him off, smile sweetly and put him in with a toy )
Being frazzled is your patience not his naughtiness (and we have all been there)
He's apart from you all day, so you don't want to have him shut in the laundry in the evening too - BUT there will come a point when after work you need a break for 20 minutes or so and a crate is perfect, he can see you , you can see him but he cannot hang off your trouser legs and test your patience.
Have a beer, refresh and then he can come back out from the crate and play with you again.
Also ditto everything that's been said about commands. He wont know anything until you teach him it. Not even the difference between a cross voice and a happy voice at this age.
BUT seriously how puppy proof is your garden? I know theft is not such a huge issue as in the uk but 5 hours is a long time, one day he will find a new 'trick' in the garden and that could be fatal.
Think chewing and choking on garden hoses, eating stones, digging under fences, encountering poisonous plants / bugs / snakes etc.
As an older dog he could be safely left in a large crate for 5 hours but that's some way off.
Another thing im sure you've now realsied but with you both at work all day, any training is going to take a lot longer and require more effort on your part. Its a hard slog (but very worth it)
Don't be dis-heartened, some days with pups its really hard and it gets you down but you get there in the end
Bailey thinks its a great game when i dry him with a towel,he loves pinching it and bum tucking around the house or trys to start a game of tug with it.
Thanks to all for the replies and advice, it is all much appreciated. I understand the idea behind the 'crate' and training him to realise that is his own little sanctuary. Here in Australia the 'crate' is not commonly used and you would be hard pressed to find one. The closest thing possible to a crate would be a transport cage that you use when taking your puppy/pet on a flight.
I guess it is up to the individual if you want to crate your puppy, I was talking to family members and friends last night over dinner and they had never really heard of them even though they have brought up puppies and pets themselves of varying breeds.
I'm happy to report that things are on the improve. For this first week we have had our neighbour come over to check on him around 10 to 11.00 am and he has been fine but crying a little from what they told us. When I have been getting home from work he has been in the garage asleep on his bed - naturally he wakes up straight away and is really happy to see me. I usually play with him in the yard for a good 20 - 30 minutes and then afterwards go on poo patrol...
The garden and garage at home is very puppy proofed, to begin with we have only given him a 6 x 6 metre area to play around in in the backyard. It has been fenced off with wire puppy fencing and he only has some pavers and grass to roll around in. There is nothing really chewable in the backyard that he can get his paws on.
Over the course of time we will open up more of the backyard for him - the rest of the yard is weeds... I have to get off my rear end and get rid of them all! In the garage everything that is either chewable or dangerous is up on hooks on the wall or on shelving out of his reach.
My partner suggested a "time out" for him last night if he got up to any mischief and when he was biting at the bottom of our pants and we used the commands, after the third warning if he was not paying any attention (even with the distraction of a toy) he would be carried into the bathroom with no toys. He would only be in there for two minutes (1 minute per month of age, we figured?!?). It took a few small trips back to the bathroom but he was soon playing with his own toys and not the bottom of our pants.
So far this morning he has been fantastic going out to the toilet and going to the door when he has had to go. We have been playing fetch inside a few times and he has been getting his own toys from his sleeping area (Laundry) and bringing them out to play with. I think we are going to have a smarty-pants on our hands later in life!
He does get a lot of attention from me and my partner when we are at home, I was even thinking with these few little things he is doing (biting pants, furniture etc.) whether he is trying to test us and gain an authority or upper hand? I know he is only just over 8 weeks of age, but he is already fetching great, his recall is good and he is such a laugh when he is playing by himself and his toys sometimes. He woke me up this morning when my partner brought him into the bedroom and my eyes opened to heaps of kisses and licks from him.
Well I better get moving, he is starting to wind down from his morning play and at the moment is at the bottom of my feet lying down. He seems to be fascinated or rather 'drawn' to our feet/legs when we are at home - like he wants to know that we are there - perhaps comfort for him? I will leave you with a picture that was taken of Fraser this morning. Thanks again to all who have replied and look forward to roamin' around this board some more!
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We have to guide them as to what's right and wrong but it does take time and patience not an overnight thing at all. training is on going throughout a dogs life. I find that distraction is a better option than just telling her.I tend to ignore naughty behaviour as in not make a fuss(obviously i do tell her no but not go over the top as she then thinks it's a game!!) give her one of her toys to get her away from what she's doing. Praise good things that she does and gets right then am over the top 
can't have got it to wrong as she is my 6th dog and 3rd pup and my others are happy confident good dogs that i'm very very proud of .
My mum's dog (5 years) still does it too so I guess you're just going to have to live with it. Alternatively, you could shut him in the kitchen or somewherem 'wet-proof' for 15 mins or so until he dries off.
